Drink and Drugs News DDN Gambling_And_Health_1128 | Page 6

GAMBLING – THE TREATMENT
What does effective treatment for
problem gambling look like, and
how do people go about accessing it?
GETTING IT RIGHT
A
vailability of the right support, in the right place, at the right
time,’ is how the National strategy to reduce gambling harms
describes its goal for gambling treatment in the UK. Fully
achieving this will require better care pathways via primary care
and social care, it says, along with improved commissioning
arrangements and support for people who have other mental health issues
alongside problem gambling. 22
While waiting lists for gambling treatment tend to be short compared
to those for drug or alcohol treatment, provision remains comparatively
restricted in terms of geographical coverage, reach and funding, the
strategy adds. According to a 2016 evidence review by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 23
while the evidence base for treatment had remained limited so far,
interventions that had proved effective include cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT) – when delivered by CBT-trained professionals – motivational
interviewing and practitioner-delivered treatment interventions.
There was relatively little evidence when it came to group psychological
interventions, and the paper also recommended that research be carried
out into whether abstinence-based programmes were more effective than
‘those without a total abstinence goal’. It clearly stated, however, that
gambling treatment services should have ‘parity of esteem with other
mental disorders’.
THE RIGHT MIX REFERRAL ROUTES
Treatment services should be providing ‘the right mix of a broad range of
options’ to address identified needs, states the national strategy. These
options should include individual, group, residential and online treatment
and support, alongside peer support and help for loved ones and ‘affected
others’. More understanding is also needed around people who do not access
treatment, it stresses, to help identify barriers to access. This is especially
important when it comes to the stigma that is still strongly associated with
all forms of addiction. People can self-refer to gambling treatment, often via the National Gambling
Helpline, or they can be referred by health professionals, usually their GP.
However, while primary care and other NHS services are currently
‘diagnosing and treating people for co-occurring challenges or conditions
such as alcohol dependency or mental ill health’, data on people who have
accessed gambling support this way is limited, says the national strategy, and
lack of awareness of treatment options among professionals such as social
workers or GPs remains a key issue.
BETKNOWMORE UK
Betknowmore UK founder Frankie Graham
describes how he was able to use his own
experience of problem gambling to help others
I
started to gamble from a young
age, and by the time I was in my
late teens I had an addiction,
usually gambling until every
penny was gone.
When I committed to recovery
it was built around volunteering
for a mental health charity, as
well as therapy. I retrained and
went on to manage community
projects with young offenders for
6 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • WIDER HEALTH SERIES
the YMCA. Noticing that some of
the young people were presenting
with gambling problems, I took
redundancy and enrolled on a
business start-up scheme to develop
Betknowmore UK.
My plan was to replicate the
young offender work – mentoring
programmes with a focus on health,
wellbeing and empowerment –
and remodel that for gamblers.
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